Repayment
by JokertheMatrix
Summary: Human AU. Antonio finds a weak fairy in the forest and feeds it a tomato. Next time he sees the fairy, it became human and needs to recover for a month. The short story of their interactions with each other during that month as Antonio takes care of him.


_This was just a random story I wrote to keep me sane as I go through a rather tough emotional turmoil (nothing bad has happened, it's just some internal stuff) I hope you guys enjoy this story despite the possible OOCness of the characters and anachronism screw and possible mistakes in languages and somewhat-maybe-possibly bad plot._

**Hetalia and its characters do not belong to me**

* * *

Antonio didn't know what to think when he saw light in the forest. Not "light" as in "sunlight", but "light" as in… well, he didn't know.

Out of the blue, he had decided to take a short walk into the forest. He didn't know why, but he had woken up this morning and randomly decided that a little walk into the forest at the edge of town would be good for him, so he had put on some red trousers and a white shirt with a green vest and took off. He took with him a brown satchel, which unfortunately, did not carry any weapons whatsoever. What he did carry were a flask of water and some tomatoes he had brought along as a snack.

The morning was calm and quiet, the air crisp and cool. He had been following a "path" through the forest, which was to say, a series of indentations on the ground caused by multiple feet trampling on it. The forest ground was dark, fallen leaves scattered everywhere. Trees towered over him, the sun's rays falling though the gaps in its foliage. Animal sounds echoed faintly around him, but Antonio wasn't afraid. He doubted that he would run into any dangerous animals; everyone always told him that he was the living embodiment of luck, and he sort of believed it himself, so he trusted his luck to keep him from harm's way. He hadn't even gone too deep into the forest anyways, so if danger came, he only needed to run back a few minutes until he was out of the forest.

While he had run into something, Antonio doubted he needed to run away from it.

He had reached a small clearing into the forest. A lone tree stump was in the middle of the circular clearing, a ray of sunlight hitting it in a way that made it seem like the stump was important. As far as Antonio was concerned, the stump was a normal tree stump, but the ball of light resting on top of it sure was interesting.

Antonio walked forward until he was in front of the stump. He bent down to take a look at the creature on top of it.

It was a small ball of light, no bigger than the palm of his hand. The light was bright, but not bright enough that it blinded him. Instead, the ball radiated a calming light and looked as if someone had gathered sunlight and cupped it in their hands. Something like wings were attached to its sides, two on each side like a dragonfly; both wings were lying on the stump, no attempt on the ball's part to move them. The creature had an aura of a light green color, but the aura was faded and barely visible.

Antonio didn't know how, but somehow he knew that whatever this was, it was tired.

"Hey…" He reached forward to touch the ball. Even though it had no face, he could tell that it was looking at him. When his finger came close to it, the ball of light edged away. "Are you okay? It seems like something happened to you…"

The ball of light quivered. If it had a face, Antonio could imagine that it was rolling its eyes. "I'm sorry… I suppose that was obvious, wasn't it?"

The ball of light quivered again as Antonio reached into his bag. "Do you want some water? I have some with me… But you have no mouth, so how will you drink?" Antonio tilted his head as he felt around his bag. He felt something. "Ah, I know!"

Antonio took out a tomato, the fruit plump and red. Amazingly enough, he managed to take out the smallest one he had with him. He showed the fruit to the creature. "Here, would you like this tomato? Maybe it'll bring your energy up…"

He laid down the fruit in front of the ball of light and waited. The ball turned to him expectantly. It took a while until Antonio realized what it was asking of him.

"Oh! If you don't have a mouth, you can't eat either…" Antonio looked away in slight embarrassment. "Sorry little fella, I just sort of assumed you needed some food or something to energize you…"

He looked back. His eyes widened when he saw that the tomato was completely gone. His eyes traveled to the ball of light. It was hovering in front of him in a somewhat proud manner, although its aura was still faded and it was wobbling violently. Antonio chuckled.

"I'm sorry again. It seems like you _can_ eat." The ball of light moved up and down in a way akin to nodding, but it seemed like that was too much for it to handle. With both his hands, Antonio caught the little creature when it had started to fall.

"Hey!" Antonio brought his hands closer to him, the ball of light now cupped in his hands. It turned to him, its wings twitching feebly as it started to fly again. "You shouldn't do that! You have to rest up before you try something like that! There are some things that you can't do you know!"

That seemed to have set of an emotional trigger in the ball of light. It quivered and flew up, flying close to Antonio's face as if screaming something at him, and then flew off. Antonio blinked his eyes.

_What a temperamental light,_ he thought.

'

Antonio returned to his home near the middle of the afternoon when the sun was beating down on everybody's backs. He closed the door behind him, entering the small abode where he resided at the outskirts of town.

He lived in a single-story house near the forest, one that barely sufficed for a single person. The house was made of a dark wood, four windows on each wall, red curtains pulled aside to let the sunlight in. At the far right was his kitchen, which only had the most basic necessities a kitchen needed. A tiny square table with two chairs was near both the door and the kitchen, the other chair only there in case guests came by. Antonio's bed was against the far back and left wall in a horizontal manner, white covers thrown haphazardly on it. At the end of the bed was the chest where Antonio kept most of his stuff, the cabinet where he kept his clothes on the wall to the bed's right. There was barely enough room for him to move around, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

Antonio plopped down on a chair, his journal right in front of him and a pen right next to that. _That felt good I suppose…_ He thought, opening his journal and uncapping his pen. _Not really sure why I decided to take a walk in the woods though… Oh well, I got to meet that ball of light didn't I?_

He started to write on the next free page. _That ball of light sure was weird… I wonder what it was? More importantly, is it okay?_ His mind returned to the moment it left him. _Pity, I quite liked him… or her… it…_ He closed his journal once he was done. Suddenly, there was knocking on his door. _Huh?_ Antonio thought as he got up and walked over to it. _Who would come over here?_

Antonio opened the door. Standing in the doorway was a young man with an olive brown complexion. He had short dark hair, a long wild curl on the right side of his head. He looked up at Antonio with his arms crossed across his chest, his light green eyes bright.

"Ah… Ah…" The man frowned. He spoke with a commanding tone, although Antonio was distracted by his accent and apparent lack of forming words. "Ah… Are… Are you… Are you the one…?"

"Have I met you before?" Antonio asked bluntly. The other frowned.

"Tha…The one w-who…" The man threw his hands up and down and said something in a language Antonio had never heard before. Or could even pronounce. "F… fore… for…" He pointed behind him. "Fore… F-for… foreee…"

"Forest?" The man nodded.

"Y-you…. c-came…." The man formed a ball shape with his hands. "He…helped…"

_Helped?_ "I don't understand…" A sudden thought came up in Antonio's head. "Wait a minute, are you a traveler? You can sort of speak our language, but not quite… Do you want me to slow down?" The man reddened in outrage.

"I… I-idi… You are an idiot!" The other brightened up. "F-finally! You humans and your weird anatomy, just how do you live with this body?" The man crossed his arms across his chest again. "Don't take me for a fool; I'm as fluent in your tongue as you are."

"Okay…" Antonio tilted his head. "So who are you and what are you doing here? I don't think I've ever met you before."

"Foolish man, you met me in the forest," the boy scoffed. "I am the creature you helped."

"'Creature I…'" Antonio tried to recall his morning walk. "I didn't help any people today as far as I know. There was this one ball of light, but as far as looks go, you're no ball of light."

"B…" The man looked puzzled. "Ball of light?" His expression cleared. "I believe you are speaking of my true form. It would be known as-" he said something in that strange language of his. "-but… Oh!" The other shook his head. "I keep using our true language instead of the ones humans would understand. I believe the word is '_fata'_."

"Sorry, I don't know what you're talking about." The man frowned.

"Oh… I suppose that language isn't used here. I was hoping you knew what it meant; it's my favorite human language, you see. Luckily though, my tutors taught me a couple human languages and seeing as how you speak in this one…" He bit his lip. "_Fata_ would be… hmm… f… fa… fair-?"

"Oh, you're a fairy?" Antonio grinned as the man nodded. "That explains quite a lot… Wow, this is the first time I've met a fairy… It's nice to meet you!" The other looked surprised.

"You… you are not shocked?" He looked up at Antonio in confusion. "But there are so many tales of my kin that say that humans wouldn't believe us when we told them…" Antonio shrugged.

"You don't seem like you're lying, so it should be the truth, right? Anyways, what are you doing here?" Antonio looked him over. "And why are you human? Is that a fairy thing?"

"Yes, we can turn into a human at will. We even have to learn how to speak your languages in case we have to communicate with you humans." He scowled as Antonio continued to inspect him. "Stop that! What are you looking at me so strangely for?"

"You're not wearing any clothes." Antonio brought the other inside. "You really shouldn't be walking around naked."

"H-hey!" He protested as Antonio closed the door. "What is this 'naked' you speak of?!"

"It means that you have to be covered." Antonio walked to his closet. "By the way, I didn't catch your name Mr. Fairy."

"May I ask that you refrain from addressing me so casually? I am-" A series of sounds that cannot be pronounced. "-but I suppose that it would be Lovino Vargas in your tongue."

_What a pretty name. _"Well Mr. Vargas, being naked is the state in which you have your…" Antonio opened the closet and started going through his clothes to look for something that could fit Lovino. "The state in which you have your 'parts' showing."

"'Parts'…? What are these 'parts'?"'

"Tell me, what separates a male from a female?" Silence.

"Commoner, I demand that you find something to cover me."

* * *

Lovino looked at his 'clothes'. "Tell me commoner, why are these garments bigger than me?" He asked as he inspected his arm. He had been given a loose white shirt and brown trousers, both of which were at least a few inches bigger than him. He looked up at the other man, who was leaning on the side of his table. "Do you not have anything that fits me?"

The other scratched his head. The man who had saved Lovino was a tan man who had the build of one who worked a lot. Curly brown hair adorned his head, olive green eyes apologetic. "I'm sorry; I wasn't expecting to ever have to lend my clothes to anyone else." The other's voice was deep and had a slight alluring effect to it, especially since he spoke with an accent. "And why are you calling me 'commoner'? _You're_ the one who came from a forest…"

"It is your status, is it not? It's only natural that I call you by it for the time being."

"Well yeah, but the way you say that sounds like you're my higher-up or something…"

"That's because I am. After all, I am a…" Lovino bit his lip as he thought. "_Principe."_

"Prince?" The other man looked thoughtful. "Seems like that language is close to my native tongue, but to make things easier for us, let's keep using the one used around here, okay? Makes it easier for the both of us. At any rate, what's a prince doing here?"

"Well, I…" Lovino fidgeted, trying to find the right words. "Umm… err… How do you say this…?"

The man sighed and waved a hand after Lovino tried and failed to explain himself. "It's fine if you can't put it into words. Once you can phrase it, feel free to tell me. Right now though, can you at least tell me why you're at my house and how you found me?"

"I'm a fairy, finding you isn't beyond my powers," Lovino huffed haughtily, his pride hurt. "As for why I found you, I had to thank you for helping me despite your impertinence. It's proper you know, thanking those who help you," he added, remembering the years of lessons he had on etiquette. He shook his head, dispelling his unpleasant memories. "Anyways, I couldn't speak to you in my true form, so I had to transform myself into a human. It took me a while to learn how to use these legs of yours, but when I figured out how to use them, you had already left."

"_Lo siento,_ I didn't know that you wanted to do that…" The other man smiled and sat down on a chair, opening a journal Lovino hadn't noticed was there. "It would have saved you a lot of trouble if I had stayed."

"Yes, it would have." Lovino pouted and sat down on the chair opposite from him. "Anyways, thank you… uhh…"

"Antonio Fernandez Carriedo, at your service Your Majesty!" Lovino rolled his eyes, trying to ignore the urge to flinch.

"Very well. I appreciate your help Mr. Carriedo."

"Just call me Antonio," Antonio said as he started to write.

"Very well then Antonio, thank you. Now if you'll excuse me…" Lovino stood up and made his way for the door. "I have finished what I came here to do. I believe that it's best that I return to what I have been doing prior to our meeting." Not that it was any better than speaking with this man, but… _I have to go back,_ Lovino thought. _Even though they-_

His legs started to give way when he was halfway towards the door. Strong arms wrapped around his chest and pulled him up before he could fall.

"That would be recovering." Lovino heard Antonio say as he laid him in bed. "I don't know how far you've traveled, but it's obvious that you should rest for a while."

"I cannot…" The other looked at him sternly. Lovino sighed. "I suppose that traveling in between worlds has done a number on me. Keeping this body is hard enough already."

"Transform back then." Lovino shook his head.

"It is not a good thing for us to keep our true forms in this world. It taxes us to keep a form not… um… 'native' over here. Your world simply cannot handle our form for too long unless special measurements are taken, ones of which I did not take. The only reason I held out for so long in my true form was because of its convenience to travel." He bit his lip. "It was foolish of me to come here unprepared. Because of my carelessness, it seems that I must… _recuperare_ for quite some time."

"Recuperate?" Antonio repeated. "For how long?"

"A…" Lovino struggled for the word. "Month? Yes, a month should do." Antonio tilted his head as if he was making a decision.

"Feel free to rest in my house for as long as you need then." Lovino's eyes started to close as exhaustion started to catch up with him.

"No… That's too much…" Antonio only laughed.

"Silly prince, helping people offers no price, so until you're fully recovered…" His voice started to fade as sleep washed over Lovino in a wave. "I'll be here to help."

''''''''''

Lovino woke up to the smell of bread. "Ah… Anto..." He stammered as he pushed the blanket off of him. Stupid humans and their weird languages. "Antonio?"

Antonio turned to him, a loaf of bread in his hands. He was sitting at the table, another loaf of bread on a plate in front of him. He wore a clean shirt and black pants. He looked as if he was going somewhere today. "You're finally awake!" He gestured to the bread. "Here, have some bread."

"Bread…?" Lovino groggily got up from the bed and started to wobble his way to the table. "Is it… is it as good as that thing you gave me before?"

"What I gave you before? You mean a tomato?" Lovino nodded as he sat down.

"If that's what it's called, then yes. It was…" He looked for the word. "Tasty. I really liked it." Antonio smiled.

"It's my favorite as well, but I'm sad to say I don't have any on me right now. I help out at this farm sometimes, and they're the ones that give me tomatoes."

Lovino looked at the fat loaf of bread and then looked back up at Antonio. "Can you not ask for more?" The other laughed.

"It's not that easy, I'm afraid. I doubt that they'll give it to me if I just ask." He pushed to plate of bread towards Lovino. "Here, you should eat."

Lovino took a bite out of the substance. He licked his lips. "Are you sure you don't have any of these 'tomato'?" Antonio laughed again.

"If it's what you wish, then I promise that I'll give you a tomato. At the moment though, I have to go work soon."

The thought of Antonio working was an odd one. "What do you do?"

"I work at odd jobs here and there. This time of the year, I tend to help my friend with the apple stand over at the marketplace." He jerked his head towards the general direction to the rest of town. "Apples are fairly popular over here for some reason, although I'm much more of a tomato person. Too bad they don't have much of that in this town..."

"I see…" Lovino scanned the room as he ate. "May I come with you to your occupation?" He asked. Antonio quirked an eyebrow.

"What for?"

"Even though it's below me to work like a commoner, I find that I would be…" He searched for the right word. "Bored, if you just left me here." Antonio finished his bread.

"Yeah, I don't really have much for you to do in here and I doubt you're well enough to work…" He suddenly stood up. "I know!" He went to the chest at the foot of his bed and took something out. "I always have extras and it may be a bit too small, but…" He walked up to Lovino with a black journal and a pencil. "Here! You could draw or write or something!"

"'Draw'….? That's like 'art', right?" A picture flashed in his mind, one that brought a pang to his chest. "My _fratello _is good at that…"

"Who?" Antonio shook his head. "Doesn't matter, I suppose. Well, why don't you try your hand at it? I don't know about you, but it takes a while to draw and well, it'll burn your time while I'm away. What do you say?"

"All…" Lovino hesitated. Was there a possibility that this was something he could do? "All right." He looked at the pencil. "I will try my hand at you humans' form of art."

Antonio chuckled as he gave the materials to Lovino. "You have to work on that speech of yours. If you go outside talking like that, people will think that you live in the castle over at the other side of town. Sure you're a prince and all, but you're too foreign for anyone to mistake you as a guy from the castle. Acting all high and mighty like that will only make people hate you."

Lovino pouted. "I don't see why I have to bring myself to you humans' levels. It seems tedious."

Antonio laughed. "Just go draw Lovi."

"'Lovi'?" Lovino scowled. "What is a 'Lovi'?"

"A nickname." Antonio ruffled his hair, his hand brushing through the curl on his head. A jolt went through Lovino as he batted the other's hand away. "Calling you 'Your Royal Highness' would be rather odd around these parts, so I'll be calling you 'Lovi'."

Lovino ignored the other's jab at his status. "We never agreed for you to-!"

"I have to go to work." Antonio picked up his satchel and winked. "See ya Lovi."

Lovino's scowl deepened. Just how was he supposed to live with this commoner for one whole month?

'

"Loviiiii!"

Lovino looked up to see Antonio shut the door behind him, a happy expression on his face. A few hours had passed since Antonio had left for work that day. Lovino scowled at the nickname as he closed his journal. "Don't call me that!"

Antonio ignored him and sat down across from him. "Here, I brought you an apple," he said, reaching into his satchel.

"'Apple'?" He repeated, remembering Antonio had mentioned it once.

"Yeah, this thing." The other held up a shiny red fruit. "They taste pretty good actually, but nothing like tomatoes."

Lovino took the fruit and bit into it, finishing it a few seconds later. "I suppose it will suffice," he decided. "How was work?"

"Fine." Antonio stretched his neck to look at the journal. "How was drawing? Can I see what you drew?"

"No." Lovino moved the journal under the table. "It's all shit."

Antonio raised an eyebrow. "When I said that you had to lessen the royal talk, I didn't exactly mean swear. Where'd you learn that word anyways?"

"I heard some people say it while they were passing by. I assume that it meant something negative, and seeing as how you didn't correct me, I assumed right." He tilted his head. "What is this 'swear' you speak of?"

"Swearing is when you say certain words that offend people. I'd tell you what they were, but I'd rather not." Antonio chuckled. "So you've been drawing this whole day? I didn't think you were strong enough for that."

Lovino glared at him. "I am strong!" Antonio sent him a knowing look in response. He blushed. "W-well, strong enough to do this thing called 'drawing'!" He turned towards a window. "I've been uh… th… thinking about my situation by the way."

"And?"

"Well, it's like I…" Lovino frowned. For some reason, he found it difficult to put what he wanted to say into human words. "Ru... ra…"

"Ran away?" Lovino nodded as Antonio chuckled again.

"I know this isn't the time, but I find it funny that you can say such complicated words yet struggle with the easier ones." Lovino huffed.

"The words are all jumbled in my head! You'd find it hard too if you had to speak in _my _tongue!" He retorted. "And human words are all _so _weird, nothing like the tongue of my people! It's much more elegant than your coarse words; why, even the commoners-!" Lovino winced. "A-and your accent is confusing!"

"And yours is cute." Antonio reached forward to flick his forehead. He didn't seem to be fazed by Lovino's quick change of subject. "Despite it all, you seem to have a pretty good grasp of our languages, so it's all good, no? By the way, you mentioned different worlds?"

"My kind lives in a different world than yours. With our… _magia_, we can come over here." Lovino scowled. "And don't flick my forehead like that!"

"Too late," Antonio said with a smile before putting on a thoughtful expression. "Magic, huh? Sounds like the stuff of fairytales…" He leaned back. "Well, we'll need to improve on your diction if I want the whole story. Good grasp or not, you still need some work. I suppose we can worry about that later though; right now, we have to worry about your health."

"My health…?" Lovino creased his eyebrows. "I am fine enough. It's my magic I'm worried about. You see, we… run on magic, per se. I am drained of it at the present moment, and it should take a while before it completely heals up."

"I'll be sure to feed you enough food to help speed up the process. It seems like food gives you magic or whatever energy you run on."

"Of sorts. Food gives us magic, but only enough to last us for a small time." His eyes suddenly started to droop. "Rest is the best way for me to… 'charge' it though."

"Then rest easy, little prince." Lovino's eyes slowly started to close. "Rest easy…"

''''''''''

Lovino would draw whenever Antonio was gone, and every time the other asked to see his drawings, Lovino would refuse him. They simply weren't good enough, Lovino would think at those times. As for his health, his strength was starting to come back, but he was still too weak to do anything but sleep in the mornings and nights.

Four days passed by.

"Lovi, look what I have!"

Lovino looked up to see Antonio go through the door. He immediately closed the journal, hiding yet another failure as Antonio made his way towards the table. "What is it? It better be good if you had to disturb me."

Antonio reached into his satchel and pulled out a box, laying it in front of Lovino. "Here, I thought you'd like this."

Lovino opened up the box. "What are these?"

Antonio beamed. "Art materials! They make color! I think they're called 'oil pastels'." He sat down across from him. "What do you think?"

"Color, huh…?" Lovino inspected an oil pastel. It was small and stubby and felt hard in his hands, but it was the color that enchanted him. "'_Rosso'_… right?"

"If it means red, then yes. Now then…" Antonio glanced at the journal. "Can you please show them to me? I want to see…"

"No way bastard." Antonio sighed.

"Sheesh, just what guys pass through here every day that you've learned how to swear?" Lovino tilted his head.

"Most often a man… hair is…" He tried to remember the word for the color. "S-silver, I think…" Antonio stared at him and then laughed.

"Oh, it's _him_. Remind me to pay him a visit and tell him not to swear every time he passes by my house." Lovino looked at him as the other kept on laughing.

"Do you know this man?" Antonio wiped tears off his eyes as he calmed down.

"I believe that the man you keep seeing is named Gilbert. Silver hair, red eyes, right?" Lovino nodded. "Hunter, he is. Swears like a sailor though." Antonio chuckled again. "I'm friends with him, y'know? Known him since childhood. Odd man, he is, but a good man nonetheless. Complete opposite of Francis in more ways than one."

"Francis?" Antonio nodded.

"Another one of my childhood friends. He's also odd, but in a much more normal way. He's the friend I told you about that I help around with the apple stand." Antonio started to chuckle. "It's a bit weird really, how I'm friends with them. You see, we all grew up in separate towns, and yet we somehow managed to make our way here and meet each other and become friends and all that, even though we're all rather different from each other. It's surprising really."

"Okay…" A sudden thought came up in his mind. "Do you have any more of these 'friends'? You don't seem to be surrounded by people much…" Antonio tilted his head.

"Bella's another one, but she doesn't come around often. Being a maid in the castle does that. I have a couple other friends too." He smiled pleasantly at Lovino. "Why do you ask? Would little Lovi like to be my friend?"

Lovino frowned, ignoring the question. "You seem very creepy like that. I implore that you stop." Antonio's smile widened.

"Ahaha, sorry 'bout that. But really, why are you asking? It's nothing special really…" Lovino shrugged.

"No particular reason. You just seem to be a very sociable person and I find it odd that I don't see you spending time with others. It…" He searched his mind for the phrase. "It contradicts your personality."

"You're worried about me?" Antonio seemed surprised. Lovino immediately scoffed in reply.

"No. I am simply making an observation." The other shrugged.

"Pity, would've been cute if you were. Don't worry though, I socialize enough. By the way, how are you?" Antonio asked, changing the subject. "Do you feel any better?"

"A little, although I doubt I'm strong enough to return to my world yet."

"You should rest some more then. Now that it's been mentioned though…" Antonio brought his hand to his chin in a thinking position. "Why did you run away? You're a prince, aren't you? Shouldn't you be there for your people at all times?" Lovino looked away. Memories flashed into his mind, none of them pleasant.

"It's… complicated? In a way. I'm not sure how to explain…" When he looked back, Antonio was nodding.

"It's fine, I shouldn't have asked. You still have to rest after all."

"I'm not _that_ tired, you know." Lovino yawned. "Resting would be nice though…"

"Then sleep." Lovino nodded as another thought crossing into his mind.

"Hey, uh… Are you really okay with me sleeping in your bed?" He gestured to the bed. "You don't have to sleep on the floor…"

Antonio looked briefly stunned and then laughed. "It's fine, it's fine! The floor's nice and comfy as long as I have enough sheets to cover me!"

"Still, you may be a commoner, but sleeping on the floor is a bit too…"

Antonio grinned. "Do you want me to sleep next to you then? I'm sure two people would be able to fit."

Lovino reddened. "I-idiot! I don't know if it's the same in your world or not, but for two people to share the same resting quarters is a bit..." He bit his lip. "But letting you sleep on the floor is a bit rude considering what you've done to help me…"

"Haha, you really are worried about me," Antonio teased. "How sweet. It'd be cute if you were like this all the time though." Lovino glared at him.

"Fuck off! I'm not cute!"

"Yes you are." He reached forward and pinched his cheek. "Now go to sleep, Lovi, I'll be fine."

Lovino stuck a tongue out. "Fine, just sleep on the floor for all I care then…" A realization hit him. "Hey…" He scowled at the other. "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me 'Lovi'! I demand that you stop!"

"Sure thing Lovi." Lovino shook his head as the other smirked.

_He's impossible,_ he thought.

''''''''''

Since that day, Antonio would return with items for Lovino every time he returned from work. He would come back with pencils or picture books or regular books or even toys, basically anything that could keep Lovino busy. As those days passed, Lovino could feel his strength start to return to him, but it wasn't enough. He was still too weak.

A week passed by since Antonio had given Lovino the oil pastels.

"Lovi!"

Lovino sighed and looked up, closing the book in his hands. He didn't try to correct the other; it would have been a waste of time. "Welcome back." He looked the other over. Antonio looked like a mess. "I see you still haven't learned how to take a bath."

"I can take a bath. I use the washtub almost every day, right?" Lovino rolled his eyes as the other took his seat across from him. It was practically ritualistic for them to always sit at the table and just stay there until Lovino had to sleep again. Lately though, Lovino could handle being awake for longer times. "What have you been reading?"

"Some fairytale. It's a bit depressing though, what these stepsisters and the stepmother do to this girl." Lovino couldn't help but think back to his home back in his world. While he had been nowhere near abused back home, he couldn't help but think that he got his fair share of unjust treatment. "How have you been?"

"Just fine, just fine." Antonio waved a hand dismissively. "Have you been resting up?"

"Yes, I feel a lot better now…" Lovino faltered. "I think… I think I can explain my story now."

Antonio sat up. "Is that so? Fire away then." Lovino took a deep breath and then spoke the words he had been practicing to say.

"As you know, I am a prince of my world along with my two brothers. Unlike you humans, we do not choose the heir to the throne via eldest son, nor do we care for whether or not the child is a male or female. Instead, we have our family choose who they believed was the most fit for the title of 'king'. Since our parents have already passed on, it was up to our grandfather to choose the heir once the time came, which it did." Lovino looked away, a pain in his chest. "I… I was never really favored for the throne. _Nonno_ didn't show it, but I heard the servants and the commoners talk as I grew up. It was obvious that I was incompetent compared to my siblings. The youngest, for example, could charm the populace better than anyone; if he put his mind to it, he could easily dissuade those who are obdurate. He would have very little trouble in proposing ideas better for the kingdom. And the second eldest, my younger brother, was exceptional in the arts and was likeable and kind despite his somewhat… airheaded qualities." Lovino let out a small laugh, remembering his brother's absurd love of one of their cuisine… 'Pasta', the humans would have called it. "Despite his ditzy personality, he is one you can trust with your life, and he was always the people's champion."

"They sound amazing, your brothers." Lovino gulped and nodded.

"Indeed, they are. I, on the other hand, am inferior to them in everything except age. Age was the only thing that I had with me that was suitable to become an heir since for generations, it had been the eldest who had been chosen. Would you like me to tell you how surprised I was to find out that I hadn't been chosen?" He said contemptibly, remembering the moment it had been publicly announced that Feliciano was to become the heir to the throne. "I'm proud of my brother, believe me, but I couldn't help but feel that maybe if I had been chosen, I could've proven my worth to those who didn't believe I had any. I tried to handle the news as best as I could, but certain… circumstances pushed me to leave. And that's it." He looked up. "There's not much to it actually."

Antonio didn't say anything for a while. Finally, he sighed. "Seems like you've had it rough. Honestly though, why would your family think that you aren't fit for the job?" To Lovino's surprise, he sounded a bit infuriated. "You seem plenty worthy to me."

Lovino scowled, despite feeling a bit pleased at the other's reaction. "As you've realized, I'm not exactly a 'likeable' person, and my skills are only subpar. Even now, I have not repaid you for your kindness. That in its own is disgraceful."

"How is that disgraceful? You need help so I helped you, it's that simple." Antonio stated bluntly. "Either way, I think that you're royal enough to be king."

"Being 'royal' won't cut it. There are a myriad of other talents I must possess, none of which I actually have."

Antonio frowned. "I don't know about you, but you seem like you can handle it. I mean, look at what you've done: even though you were practically dying when I found you, you tried your best to find me just so you could thank me, and even now you keep insisting on repaying me even though you don't need to. If determination and honor can't cut it to be a king, then I don't know what can."

Lovino rolled his eyes. "Please, you are only deluding yourself in thinking that. There's nothing exceptional about me. And don't even try," he added when he saw the other open his mouth. "I've spent years isolating myself from people to avoid being reminded of my uselessness; I'd rather not have you spout lies saying that I possess something I don't actually have."

"You need to believe in yourself more, little prince, for you are worth more than you put yourself up to be," Antonio said simply. "And you really should change that view of yours. People aren't that cruel."

Lovino remembered the scorn the villagers and the rest had given him when for the first time in a long while, the eldest had not been chosen for the throne. It had been worse than what he usually told himself. "You've never lived my life before."

"That may be, butonce you start pushing people away, it isn't until they're gone that it's too late." Lovino blinked at the unexpected statement.

"That's… that's rather wise of you." Antonio looked puzzled.

"Is it really? I don't see how it could be, I just thought of it at the moment." He stood up before Lovino could interject. "At any rate, we should get you rested up as fast as possible. You can't run away from your world forever."

"Gee, really? Why else do you think I've been trying to get back?" Lovino scoffed. He looked up at Antonio, a mad idea popping up in his brain. "Hey… Do you mind if I go to the marketplace with you tomorrow? I want to go outside for once." Antonio pondered that for a while.

"I don't have work tomorrow, so I suppose that's doable. You've been cooped up in here for quite some time, and I'm sure you're well enough for a little stroll around town…" He smiled at Lovino. "All right then, it's a date!"

"Date…?" Lovino blushed. "S… stop teasing me! I wouldn't have known of that word before, but I do now! You can't pull that one over me!"

"Pity, I wanted to see your reaction once I told you what it was." Antonio sighed. "Maybe I should stop buying you books; I liked it better when you had a limited vocabulary…"

"Shut up already! That's…" Lovino pouted. "That's mean!"

"Ahaha, I suppose so." Antonio ruffled his hair, only for Lovino to bat his hand away afterwards. "You know, I think I've gotten used to having you around. Things will be less interesting once you have to leave…"

''''''''''

They went to the marketplace the next day. The area was bustling with people; travelers, locals, newcomers, all sorts of people were to be found. Stands were lined up in front of simple houses, some selling baubles or food or other such items. The day was nice and warm, puffy clouds rolling across the endless blue sky, weather that was perfect for a little stroll around town.

Lovino walked next to Antonio, one hand timidly holding his sleeve in an attempt not to get lost. Today, the other wore a red vest with matching trousers, the white long-sleeved shirt underneath being made out of a material that was soft and nice to the touch… 'cotton', was what humans called it. As for Lovino, he wore a white dress shirt and green trousers, both material rolled up to prevent it getting in the way of his hands and feet, although both articles of clothing were still too big for him (it was times like these when Lovino wished that Antonio would buy him clothes already, but Antonio always refused to. Something about not knowing his measurements and whatnot). A basket hung on Lovino's free arm, Antonio having insisted on bringing it along with his satchel in case they ran out of room.

"Honestly, I don't see what's so appealing about this place…" Lovino commented as he watched a little boy buy an apple. "There's too much here; how do you humans afford it all?"

"We don't. I take it you don't have shops back in your world?" Lovino shook his head no.

"No. Whatever we need, we make for ourselves."

"Oh yeah, you guys have magic." Antonio chuckled. "Just what can your magic not do?"

"A lot of things actually. For example, we cannot make others fall in love or control their minds. Basically, we can't use our magic to directly affect a person's state of mind and such."

"That's good. It would've been horrible if you could. I mean, if humans had mind control, then we would…" Lovino's eyes caught a nearby bookstand as Antonio spoke. Books of all sorts were stacked on the stand, although one in particular stood out.

"E… Excuse me," Lovino said timidly as he walked to the stand, pointing to a particular book. The bookseller looked at him. "Ha… how much is this?"

"Oh, it's-" Lovino frowned at the price, trying to remember how much he had on him.

_That's more than what Antonio gave me…_ "Can't it be any cheaper than that?" The bookseller shook his head. "Are you sure? That's too much for one book." Of course Lovino didn't know the price of an average book, but his instincts told him something was wrong.

"I'm sorry sir, but that's the price."

"That may be, but I believe that it is too much." The bookseller shrugged.

"Take it or leave it." Lovino glared at him.

"Why you-!"

"There you are!"

Lovino turned to see a woman walk up to him, a small basket in one hand. She wore a white buttoned long-sleeved top and a black skirt, which oddly enough, looked pretty on her despite its simplicity. She was taller than Lovino with admirable tracts of land and carried a sort of confident grace in her. Her blonde hair was short and slightly curly, a ribbon tying her hair in place. _How beautiful…_ Lovino thought as she stood next to Lovino.

The woman winked at him with green almond-shaped eyes. "Sorry, my cousin over here tends to wander a bit. This is the book you wanted, right?" Lovino nodded dumbly as the woman pointed to the book he had been looking at. "Finally! We've been looking for that book everywhere! How much for it?" The bookseller told her the price. "My, my, isn't that too high for a piece of literature? Can't you give a girl a break?"

"I'm sorry ma'am, but I really cannot-"

"Really now, that's way too much for a simple book! Why, I believe that you sold it to a man for a much cheaper price than that before, no?" Her smile was like that of a cat's when she saw the bookseller redden. "Now, now, it's not nice to tease a foreigner! After all, teasing him is my job, isn't that right?" She ruffled Lovino's hair before fixing the bookseller with a stern glare. "Lower the price," she commanded, her voice losing its previous jolliness. "It's only fair that you treat him like the rest of us."

The bookseller complied, selling the book for a much lower price. Lovino could only stare as the woman happily thanked the bookseller and led him away. "Sheesh, merchants… Can't trust them, right?"

They started to walk past other stands. The woman looked at him. "You must be new here. Everyone knows that he rips people off," she commented as she slipped the book into Lovino's basket. "What's your name?"

He almost spoke back in his true language, but managed to stop himself in time. "Lo… Lovino Vargas, miss." The woman smiled.

"Yup, definitely a traveler. No one else in town has such a pretty name." Lovino blushed as he looked down.

"I… it's not pretty…" he murmured to himself. He turned back towards the woman. "Wh… what is your name?" He asked in a louder yet tentative voice.

The woman suddenly pinched his cheek. "Such an adorable boy! I'm Bella by the way." Lovino's eyes widened.

"Ah… Antonio mentioned you to me before. I believe that he said you were a maid in the castle."

"That's right." Bella nodded. "You know Toni? How?"

_Toni?_ Was this one of those 'nicknames' that Antonio had mentioned before? Either way, he felt weird when he heard the woman say it. "He found me in the forest when I was fatigued. He's been letting me recover at his house ever since."

"So Toni's just being his good ol' nice self and helping you." She grinned. "How long have you been staying with him?"

"A week or so."

"I see. Has he been kind?"

"He's odd, but he is kind. For example, he buys me items all the time so that I don't get bored while he's at work. Things like books and art supplies and such." He fidgeted when Bella stared at him. "I-is there something wrong with that?"

"No, it's just…" She shook her head. "Those aren't exactly cheap around here, or at least, with the work he does. He doesn't have a full-time job, you see, he's like a floater. Would rather just live life without money and all that stuff. I'm surprised he could manage to afford those things on a regular basis." Bella looked at him with a scrutinizing gaze. "He must really like you."

Lovino blushed. "D… don't be silly! We've only known each other for what's been more or less a week! He's just a nice but idiotic person, that's all!" Bella laughed.

"That he is. Either way, it's nice to see that Toni's found another friend. I worry about him sometimes, living so far away from town, but he always tells me it's 'cause he wants to be with nature or something." She shook her head. "Really, I don't know what goes on that man's mi-"

"Lovi!"

They both turned to Antonio as he strode over to them. He was making a face Lovino had never seen him make before, one that scared him. Antonio put his hands on his hips once he was in front of them.

"Don't leave without telling me! Don't you realize that you could've gotten hurt? You're not even healthy enough to be wandering around for so long! What if you got lost and I couldn't find you?" Lovino cringed and unconsciously hid behind Bella. At the moment, Antonio reminded him of his grandfather when he was angry, and that was certainly no picnic. "Honestly, you'd think that-"

"Hey now Toni, don't you think this is partially your fault?" Antonio turned to Bella as if just realizing that she was there. "_You're_ the one supposed to be watching over him! It's just as much your fault as it is his!" Antonio blinked.

"Bel, what are you doing here?" She glared at him.

"Don't you change the subject on me young man, you're his caretaker and should act as such! And don't scare him! Don't you know that that doesn't work?" Bella sighed. "Reminds me of the young master, always running off to who-knows-where; you have to keep a fierce eye on him before something catches his interest. Once he sees something he likes, there's no stopping him going for it."

Antonio chuckled, his furious aura gone. "I see you haven't changed Bel, not one bit. Thanks for watching over Lovi for me." His eyes turned towards the book in Lovino's basket. "And for the book. Do you want me to pay you back?"

"No need, just take good care of this young man and that'll be payment enough. I can tell just by looking at you that he makes you happy, and really, that's more than I could ever ask for." She stepped aside so that Lovino was facing Antonio. "Sorry to cut this short, but I have to run. You know how it goes, grocery shopping and all." Bella turned to Lovino and winked. "See ya around Lovi!"

"Th… thank you again!" Lovino yelled out as she hurried away. He turned back to Antonio, who was looking at him sternly. "I… uh… I…" He looked down. Apologies weren't his forte. "I apologize for worrying you..."

Antonio softened. "I can't stay mad at you when you're like that, you know… Just don't do it again, okay?" Lovino nodded and then looked back at the direction Bella had gone.

"She's nice… and very beautiful…"

"That she is. Have I mentioned that I almost married her once?" Lovino whipped towards him.

"M…married?!" Antonio laughed at his reaction.

"You do know the word then. Another pity, but your reaction makes up for it. No, I would never think to do that, she's like a sister to me. Plus, her brother would never let me." Lovino relaxed as Antonio's eyes glinted curiously. "Why, did you not want me to want to marry her?"

"O-of course not!" Lovino reddened. "It's just a weird idea, that's all!"

"In what ways?"

"Well, for one thing, you just…" Lovino reddened even more. "J-just never mind, all right?"

"What? What were you going to say?" Lovino pouted.

"You just love teasing me, don't you, you bastard?"

"Maybe." Lovino scowled as the other grinned. "Continue?"

"W-well…" He looked away, finding that he couldn't meet Antonio's eyes. "While you do seem the type to settle down, I just can't imagine you getting married to her…"

"Who would I be married to then?"

"I don't know! Just… just not her, okay?!" He exclaimed as the familiar feeling of exhaustion came to him. "L-let's just go back; I'm tired…"

"If you say so." Antonio grabbed Lovino's hand and clutched it tight. "Don't let go, okay? I don't want you to get lost again."

"I-idiot, I'm not a child…" Regardless, they started to walk back towards the house. They didn't speak the whole trip back.

"Lovi, are you okay?" Antonio asked when they returned. "It looks like something's on your mind…"

"That woman… Bella, she…" Lovino let go of his hand. "She called you… 'Toni', right?"

Antonio tilted his head in thought. "And I call her 'Bel'. I'm sure you've noticed already Lovi, but I like to call people by their nicknames."

"I know, b-but…" Lovino's voice unconsciously lowered. He felt the tips of his ear go red. "Can I call you 'Toni' too?"

A pause. Finally, "Why?"

"B-because!" Lovino fidgeted. "I… I just thought it would be nice, all right? It's only fair, right, that I get to call you a nickname if you can for me? I… I'm only trying to even the score!" Another pause. Suddenly, Lovino found that he was being hugged tightly. "_Che diavolo?! _Le…" He tried to push the other away. "Let go of me!"

"Cutecutecutecutecutecute…" He heard Antonio mutter under his breath. "So cute!"

"Hey, I said let go!"

"Okay!" Antonio didn't fully let go of him, only thrust him forward so that Lovino's face wasn't buried in his chest. "That'll be your payment then! You said once that you haven't repaid me for helping you, right?" Lovino nodded automatically. "I honestly don't care if you pay me back or not, but take calling me Toni as you repaying me, all right?"

"That doesn't count! B-but…" He found a sudden interest in the ground. "I-if you say so… T-toni…" Lovino blushed as Antonio beamed. "Ugh, I shouldn't have asked… Can you let go of me now?"

"Only if you say please."

"Please let go of me now?"

"I didn't hear my name." Lovino rolled his eyes.

"Antonio, let me go or I swear I'll kick you right now!"

"Call me Toni again and I might." Lovino sighed.

"I _really_ regret asking now…"

''''''''''

Lovino sat down in front of the house, his pencil tucked into his ear. His oil pastel box was on the ground next to him, the box opened to reveal stubby oil pastels. The sun shone strongly overhead, and Lovino could feel his eyes droop a little. Even though he could handle staying awake for almost the whole day now, he still couldn't last the whole day, meaning that he didn't have enough magic to travel back to his world.

The month was a little more than halfway over now.

_Ugh, just how come this isn't turning out right…? _He thought to himself. _Perhaps I need another muse? But what should I draw? _Lovino rolled the oil pastel in his hands. _There's not really much that I-_

"What'cha drawing there, kid?"

Lovino jumped back, dropping the oil pastel. He cursed in his own language before looking up. Standing over him was the silver haired, red eyed hunter that would pass by the house occasionally. He wore the normal hunter's garb, but his was a particular shade of blue. His bow and its quiver were strapped securely on his back. The man was by himself today. He grinned at him. "You're the jumpy sort, eh?" He spoke roughly with an accent that made Lovino think he was a soldier. "Gave you quite a scare, huh?"

"Y-you…" Lovino remembered Antonio mentioning his name once. "G-g… Gi… Gilbert?" The other looked amazed.

"How'd ya know my name, kid?" Gilbert looked at the house behind Lovino. "And why are you at Toni's place? Last time I checked, he never had kids…"

"How young do you think I am?!" Gilbert shrugged.

"Does it matter? Why are you here?" Lovino closed the journal, hoping Gilbert hadn't seen his drawing.

"Antonio, he…" Lovino pointed to the forest. "A while back, he found me in the forest… He's been helping me get back on my feet ever since…" Gilbert had a pensive expression on his face before kneeling in front of Lovino.

"I'm gonna take a wild guess, but you didn't buy those, did you?" Lovino shook his head in reply. "Thought so. How long has he been takin' care of ya?"

"Um… around half a month or so." Gilbert tilted his head.

"Spending that much for a lad you just met…?" he mumbled to himself. He looked up at Lovino. "Well kid, it seems that Toni's taken a shine to ya." Lovino frowned.

"What the hell do you mean? Your manner of speech confuses me…" Gilbert cackled.

"'Manner of speech'? You have some weird speech patterns yourself kid. Just where have you been, the palace or something?"

"It's none of your business!" Lovino snapped. "And stop calling me kid! I have a name you know!"

"Which is?"

"Lovino! Lovino Vargas!" Gilbert grinned and ruffled his hair.

"Well Lovino, let me rephrase it for ya then: Antonio likes you." Lovino blinked.

"D-don't kid like that! He likes everyone, doesn't he? At least, I don't think he's ever hated anyone…." Gilbert shrugged.

"True, but Antonio's the type to say 'Fuck off!' with a smile. You just can't tell when he hates someone until he says so himself."

"True…" Lovino looked down at his journal. "Now that I think about it, I don't know much about Antonio at all. I mean, I know some stuff like what he does for a living and what he's generally like and some other trivial facts, but not much about Antonio himself."

"There's not much to him actually, but he does have his surprises. You think you know him, but then you realize that there's more to his dumb personality than you realized." Gilbert laughed. "Just don't make him mad and you're golden."

"No kidding." Lovino shuddered when he remembered the expression Antonio made when Lovino had run off without telling him. That day, he only avoided danger because Bella was there. A thought crossed his mind. "Hey… you're childhood friends with Toni, right?" Gilbert nodded. "Can you um… err…"

"Tell you more about him?" Lovino blushed.

"Y-you see, I have to pay him back for all his help, but I'm not quite sure how…" He picked up the oil pastel he had dropped, which coincidentally enough, was the red pastel he was so fascinated with. "I believe it would be best if I knew more about him before I got him something."

"That's understandable." With a grunt, Gilbert got up on his feet. "Okay, so what do you want to kno-?"

"Lovi! Work ended early, so I'm back!" They looked to see Antonio jogging towards them. He stopped once he was in front of them and turned to Gilbert. "Gil, what are you doing here?"

"Hunting, what else?" The other chuckled. "Of course, I stopped to have a quick chat with Lovino here, so I doubt I have much time to now."

"Is that so… Hey, that reminds me!" Antonio glared at Gilbert. "Stop swearing! Lovi can hear you and now he's picked it up!"

"Oh fuck off, some swearing has never done a man any harm." He said with a laugh. Gilbert's laugh was strange, sounding a lot like 'kesesesese'. "Speaking of which, d'ya mind if I take Lovino out for a while?" Antonio's glare suddenly darkened.

"For what, Gilbert, do you need Lovino for?" Gilbert's expression hadn't changed, but even Lovino saw him cringe a little.

"Calm down Toni, it's only for a little while. The awesome me just want to get to know the boy a little… Not in that way you know!" He added when Antonio looked ready to beat him up. "I just want to talk to him for a while!"

"Then let me come as well." Gilbert wagged a finger.

"No can do, you've been as tired as a horse lately. Don't lie," he added when Antonio opened his mouth. "I know since the awesome me is awesome like that… Aaand, I heard from Franny that you've been working double time lately."

"What?!" The gears in Lovino's mind started turning, his mind turning back to the day he had asked if Antonio took a bath. He thought back to all the times Antonio had returned and realized that he _had_ looked weary at those tiems. _How come…? _Lovino turned towards Antonio, who had looked away. _ How come I never realized it? _Another realization hit him. _He must have been working while I was sleeping!_

"You shouldn't have said that Gilbert," Antonio hissed. Gilbert shrugged.

"I don't know, I think the kid has a right to know…" Antonio sent him a dirty look before sighing.

"All right, you win. _But…" _This time Antonio sent him a death glare. "So much a _scratch_ on him when he comes back and you'll find that arrow of yours in a different place than your quiver."

Gilbert only grinned, but Lovino saw a fleeting look of panic in his eyes. "No worries Toni, your little boy toy will be safe with me!"

"'Boy toy'?" Lovino asked. The word sounded overtly foreign to him. "What's that?"

Antonio looked downright murderous now. "Just ignore everything he says Lovi, just ignore him…"

'

"How come Antonio couldn't come?" Lovino asked as he ran to catch up to Gilbert's lengthy gait. Gilbert cracked a grin.

"Lovino, you simply do not talk about a man while said man is there. _Especially_ if you wish to learn about him behind his back."

"B-behind his back?" Lovino stammered out flabbergasted. "I wish no such thing!" Gilbert looked at him strangely.

"Ask him yourself then if you want to know so much about him."

"I would but…" He hesitated. "Whenever the topic gets remotely close to being about him, he would always change it so that it was about me. I doubt that if I asked him myself that he would give out an honest response, and I need to know as much as possible so that I could think of an adequate gift."

"Eh, still sounds strange to me, but you're in luck; Franny here should be able to help!" They suddenly stopped in front of an apple stand. A man with curly shoulder-length blonde hair looked up at them, a slight amount of facial hair on his chin. He was wearing a white apron over a white shirt, somehow making the simple clothes look extravagant. Questioning river blue eyes turned up to them as they approached him.

"Gilbert, who is that attractive young man by your side?" He spoke with a smooth voice that had a sensuous accent. "He doesn't seem to fit your type… Perhaps he fits mine?" Lovino shuddered. He didn't know what the other man was saying, but somehow he knew that the man's meaning was one he wouldn't have approved of.

"Taken, but not by me," Gilbert answered as he patted Lovino's back roughly. "This here's Antonio's new friend, Romano Vargas or something."

"My name's _Lovino_ Vargas, thank you very much." Lovino scooted away from the eccentric man and turned back towards Francis. "You're Francis right, one of Toni's friends?" Francis nodded his head in an amused manner.

"My, this one has spunk… Are you sure that he's-?"

"Positive." Francis sighed at Gilbert's answer.

"Woe is me then, I suppose."

"Hey, I'm not done yet!" Both men turned towards Lovino. He cleared his throat. "Antonio helps out here, does he not?" Francis raised an eyebrow.

"You must be a traveler. Not many speak with your kind of elegance… At any rate, _oui_, he does help me out."

"I… is it true that he's working dah… double time?" Francis only looked at him for a fraction of a second and then laughed.

"Ah, so Antonio has been using his money _pour sa chérie_, so it would seem. No wonder he has been so eager to work!" Francis exclaimed with a hearty laugh. "As of late though, he seems to be reverting back to his old work hours. Good that he does, working more has done a number on his complexion." Francis saw Lovino cringe a little. "Why do you ask?"

_Antonio probably stopped working more hours since he can't sneak away now that I'm awake most of the time…_ Lovino thought to himself before turning back to Francis. "He uses that money to buy me things, you see, and I didn't know if he really was going out of his way just for me…" Francis turned to Gilbert, who shrugged.

"Not even a month." Francis tutted under his breath.

"Only a friend, you say? Seems like _l'amour_ to me."

"Like what?" Lovino didn't recognize the language the other was using. "A-anyways, do you mind telling me a bit more about Antonio? I need to pay him back, and I find that I don't know enough about him to do so…"

"Why not ask the man himself?" Francis sighed before either Gilbert or Lovino could talk. "Don't speak, I just realized how foolish an idea that is. That man is a fool, you know, a simple fool."

"If I shot a bird every time Toni was called an idiot, my arm would've fallen off a long time ago," Gilbert said with a grin. "Anything you'd like to tell the boy about him, Franny?"

"Why don't you tell him yourself? Surely you know something that can aid this boy." The other shrugged.

"You've known him far longer than me and we all know that by far you're closer to him than I am, so it that makes you the more helpful option." Francis tilted his head in thought.

"_C'est ça …" _He turned to Lovino. "There are a lot of pointless things I could tell you, but essentially, Antonio's the type of person that hides his pain with a smile. While he is the type to tell you his problems, he does have a tendency to hide what troubles him away from those who care under the pretense that everything's all right. Or he doesn't realize that it's a problem himself, one of those two." Francis chuckled. "As for repaying him, just find something that will please him. Along with being a fool, he is rather simple-minded."

"It can't be material though," Gilbert added. "He's been straining his budget way too much for that."

"S… straining his budget? He's been straining his budget?!" Lovino's mind turned back to the oil pastels Antonio had given him. "Tha…. That idiot!" Gilbert smirked.

"There goes another bird."

'

Lovino returned to the house soon after. He found Antonio sleeping on the table, his head fallen on an open journal page. _That idiot…_ Lovino thought as he made his way towards him. He bent down to poke his cheek, noticing that the other had heavy bags under his eyes. _He really _has _been working himself too much, hasn't he…?_ Sadness and a bit of shame filled Lovino. I-idiota_, why didn't you tell me?_

Grunting, Lovino lifted Antonio up and dragged him to the bed. He dropped Antonio onto the bed with a plop. _Ugh, how heavy… _He looked at Antonio's face. It was relaxed and childlike like how he normally was, but now there was a sort of unhappiness in his features, as if he was centuries older than he appeared. _Is something troubling him now? _He thought, remembering Francis's words. _I wonder, just what exactly does he not tell me…?_

Lovino bit his lip. Even though he'd only known the man for a few weeks, he couldn't help but worry for the other as if they've known each other for years. Lovino actually dreaded having to leave him once the month was over.

His eyes traveled over to the open journal on the table. He took a few steps towards it before stopping and shaking his head. _I shouldn't. That's invasion of privacy. _As much as he wanted to know more about Antonio, that would be crossing a line. _Still, something seems to be…_ Lovino shook his head again. He turned towards Antonio's sleeping face and sighed.

_Idiot, I want to help you too…_

''''''''''

Over the next few days, Lovino managed to make things easier for Antonio. Antonio had admitted that he was using a bit too much of his expenses for Lovino's sake, saying that he didn't mind and that it was to make it so that Lovino was as comfortable as possible. Nevertheless, Lovino managed to talk him out of buying something for him every day and out of working himself thin. He also, after much debate, managed to talk Antonio into actually sleeping in his bed after telling him that he was strong enough to take his normal form at night (even then, Antonio insisted that they at least share the bed, even after Lovino had told him that fairies slept in the air. It went on until Lovino had slapped him, and that was the end of the discussion). As time went on though, Lovino found that most of his magic had returned. It wouldn't be long until he had to leave.

Three weeks had passed since Antonio had first taken Lovino in.

"Toni?" Antonio looked up at the sound of Lovino's voice. He had been napping in his bed, something he called a 'siesta'. It was one of those days when he didn't have work. Lovino closed his book as the other turned to him.

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Can I read your journal?" There was a brief period of silence before Antonio started to chuckle.

"Lovi, journals are meant to be private you know."

"Then stop asking to look at mine..." Lovino murmured under his breath. "Why do you even have a journal anyways?"

"Gilbert talked me into it a long time ago. It sort of stuck with me after a while." Antonio tilted his head. "Why do you ask?"

"No particular reason," Lovino replied automatically. "I just sort of thought that maybe I could think of a way to repay you if I knew more about you." Antonio sighed.

"Again? Didn't I tell you that calling me 'Toni' would be enough?"

"Didn't I tell you that that didn't count?" He answered sharply. "That's too small. It has to be something of equal value."

"But that is of equal value!"

"Shut up, it isn't!" Lovino crossed his arms across his chest. "Just let this one go, all right? I'm doing this out of my own volition, so I don't need your opinion! So what do you want?!"

"I don't know!" Antonio turned on the bed so that he was facing the ceiling. "Really, there's not much that I really want… I mean, as long as it's from my little prince, it should be all right, right?" Lovino blushed, but nevertheless, an idea popped up after he said that. _Would he really accept that though…?_

"S-stupid, don't call me that…" He glanced at him. "Are you okay by the way?" The other let out a small laugh.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?" Antonio turned towards him, his head on top of his hand like a pillow. "I mean, you're the recovering fairy here."

"I'm fine." Lovino waved a hand dismissively. "Never you mind what my health is, don't change the subject! Something's bugging you, isn't it?"

"Huh?" Antonio sat up. "What makes you think that?!"

"You… you just seem different, that's all!" Like hell he was going to tell him that he saw the expression he made on his face as he slept the other day! "A-and I still have to repay you, so maybe I could just solve your problem as payment!"

"Lovi, there isn't anything troubling me right now." Antonio was wholly perplexed. "Really, I don't see what about me is so different… Would you care to elaborate on that?"

"W-well, it's just…" Lovino as he sighed and stood up, the book tucked under his arm. He made his way towards the chest at the end of the bed, Lovino and Antonio having agreed to share the storage area during his stay. He opened the chest and put the book away, hiding his face from Antonio. "_Ti ho visto mentre dormiva, l'altro giorno, va bene?_

"You realize I don't understand what you're saying."

"That was the point."

"Now why would you…?" Antonio sighed then plopped back on the bed, not saying a word for a while.

"Hey Lovino," he finally said. Lovino looked up, although his mind was focused on other things.

"Yeah?"

"You didn't really answer my question before… the 'how are you' one."

"I said I was fine, didn't I?"

"Well yeah, but…" He paused. "Are you almost well enough to travel back?"

"Of course," Lovino answered absentmindedly as he continued to rummage through the chest for his journal. "I said that it would only take a month, didn't I? A month's almost passed."

"Yeah…" Antonio's voice was oddly quiet. "Time sure flies, doesn't it…?"

They didn't say anything after that. A few second later, Antonio started to snore. Lovino pulled out his journal and his oil pastels.

_Let's hope I can do something right this time._

'''''''''

All his magic had returned. Lovino knew the moment the sun came up that he was ready.

The month had passed. It was time to leave.

Lovino lifted his head up from the table. He had decided that for his final night, he should spend it as a human. Antonio had thrown him a 'going-away' party and gave him all manners of food, none of which were tomatoes (Antonio told him that he hadn't found the time to ask for them. Lovino had tried to hide his disappointment). Lovino didn't know when, but at some point in the night, he had fallen asleep. When he lifted his head up, he noticed that the table was spick and span, Antonio probably having cleaned it once Lovino had fallen asleep.

_He didn't have to throw me a party…_ Lovino shook his head. _Doesn't matter, at least I managed to find a way to repay him now… If he accepts it that is…_ Lovino bit his lip. Maybe Antonio wasn't like the rest? He certainly was an oddity of a man… Either way, Lovino hoped that he managed to do something right. _He better be grateful… After all, he shouldn't have gone through that much for me in the first place…_

He slowly got up from the table and tiptoed silently towards the chest, careful not to wake up a snoring Antonio. He knelt down in front of the chest and opened the lid, wincing at its creaky noise. _Sometimes I wonder how Antonio can handle living like this… _Lovino had once offered to make him better furniture out of magic, but Antonio had refused point-blank saying that he liked his house the way it was. _Now that I think about it, I don't mind this way of living much either…_ Even though Lovino had a much more luxurious lifestyle at home, he found that he actually preferred staying here with Antonio and his simplistic ways. It was relaxing, and it was nice change of pace to have Antonio around him instead of his usual crowd.

Lovino rummaged through the chest until he found his journal. _Will Antonio like this? _Worry filled Lovino like a wildfire._ If only I had spent more time with him, then maybe I could've gotten him a better gift…_

He took the journal and laid it on the table, in front of the spot where Antonio normally sat. He glanced back at the sleeping man. _How peaceful…_ Lovino thought before he went up and walked towards the door.

"Going somewhere?" Lovino looked back to see Antonio sitting up on the bed, his hand scratching the back of his head the way he did every time he woke up. He looked up at Lovino sleepily.

"I hope you don't mind that I take these clothes with me." Lovino gestured to the clothes he was wearing, which coincidentally enough, were the first clothes Antonio had given him. "It's easier that way."

"I don't mind. He paused. "Aren't you going to eat first?"

"No need." Antonio shrugged at his response.

"If that's what you feel like, then alright."

Silence. Finally, Lovino sighed.

"I'll be going now then. Really, I will," he added when seeing Antonio's face. "I probably won't see you again anytime soon…"

"That's true." Lovino waited for another reaction. He realized that none would come.

_Idiot…_ He spun around and practically choked the doorknob. "That's goodbye then," he said curtly before he softened. "A-and remember to check the table since I left something there as repayment."

"Okay." Something in Lovino knew that Antonio hadn't looked at the table at all that moment. Lovino opened the door.

"Hey." Lovino paused before taking a step, turning back towards the other man. Antonio was sitting on the bedside, his back a bit hunched forward. His left hand was caught in a position that was neither held up nor laid down, as if he were torn between waving goodbye or not. He was wearing a kind smile, the one a person would have if the cat they had to nurse back to health was all better now, but his green eyes were sad.

"Yes?"

"_Te…" _Antonio paused as if he was trying to make up his mind on something. "Take care."

Lovino didn't reply. He stepped out of the door, not turning back.

* * *

Antonio walked through the woods. The air was crisp and cool as it was still morning. The trees towered over him in all their wooden glory, their leaves swaying to the gentle wind. He walked through the trodden makeshift path, the fallen leaves rustling underneath him.

It was funny really, the circumstances to this morning stroll. He had woken up and randomly decided to take a short walk through the forest, putting on a green vest over a white shirt and tomato red trousers and taking off. It reminded him of that one morning two years ago, that one morning that sent a pang in his chest.

_Two years already, huh…_ For two years he had purposefully blocked the memories of that month, but now, in this moment, he felt it all flood back to him. _I wonder how he's doing? I hope the villagers in his world are treating him well…_

His hand unconsciously went to the satchel he carried with him. He felt a comforting bulge on its side. Antonio paused, taking a minute to open up the satchel and take out the journal he had taken a habit to bringing with him.

He opened the journal. Inside, the journal contained a myriad of drawings. Some were strange and unusual and made an image that Antonio didn't recognize, something inhuman. Others were of items you'd see in your daily life, such as the table in his living room. All of them were crossed out for some reason, even though Antonio couldn't find anything wrong with them. The only one that wasn't crossed out was the last picture in the book, which Antonio turned to immediately.

The last picture was a stunning portrait of Antonio. He was wearing the clothes he was wearing now, but the way it was drawn, he might as well have been wearing clothes straight out of the king's closet. He wasn't doing anything particularly special, just sitting in the table and smiling at the artist. The picture was drawn with a patient hand, one that was determined to turn a simple man into a masterpiece. Everything in the picture seemed to glow with an ethereal light as if it was blessed by magic. Given the artist, it may as well have been, but Antonio knew that he had made the picture using mortal ways.

Words were scrawled at the bottom in the black ink of a pen. The words were shaky, but otherwise legible. It only said one word: _Grazie. _

Antonio closed the notebook and put it away, making sure not to crush the tomatoes in the satchel. _Such a long time ago…_

He continued to walk through the forest. Eventually, he reached a familiar circular clearing. As always, the little tree stump was there, light shining on it and all. As far as Antonio was concerned, the stump was a normal tree stump, but the person resting on top of it sure was interesting.

The person sat with his arms hugging his knees, bringing his knees to his chest. The other wore a loose white shirt and brown trousers, both of which were too big on him. He didn't turn towards Antonio. "He said it was alright for me to stay here, my brother. Not that I wanted to anyways. You humans have weird ways and stupid anatomy."

"Is that so."

"Yeah. I didn't want to go back to this world at all."

"Then why are you here?"

"You never gave me a tomato after that one time. You promised that you would."

"I promised that I'd get you one when I could." Antonio reached into his satchel. Amazingly enough, he managed to pull out the biggest one he had with him. "Would you like one?"

"I would have to repay you for that." Antonio laughed as he walked towards the other.

"Still on that, eh? Consider repeating this as repayment then: _Te amo, mi pequeño príncipe._"

"I have no idea what you're saying." The other said as he accepted the tomato from Antonio's hands. _"_But since I still need to repay you…"

"_Ti amo anche io, idiota._"


End file.
